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political deadlock
King Albert II of the Belgians is going to address the nation amid reports he is going to abdicate.
Belgian state TV reported that the 79-year-old monarch would make an announcement on all of the major networks at 18:00, local time.
King Albert II of the Belgians is going to address the nation amid reports he is going to abdicate
Kin Albert’s son, Crown Prince Philippe, 53, is next in line to the throne.
During Belgium’s political deadlock in 2010-11, King Albert- who is due to mark 20 years on the throne next month – took on the role of mediator.
King Albert met the Belgian government’s cabinet earlier on Wednesday to inform them of his decision, Belgian state TV reported.
Following King Albert’s announcement, Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo will address the nation.
A man has been arrested in Italy after he shot two police officers outside the PM’s office in Rome during new government swearing-in ceremony.
One of the officers was shot in the neck and is said to be in a serious condition.
The incident was around a kilometre away from the swearing-in ceremony at the Quirinal Palace.
Democratic Party Deputy Leader (PD), Enrico Letta, becomes prime minister at the head of a “grand coalition” including Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party (PDL).
The swearing-in signals the end of two months of political deadlock.
Correspondents say the “grand coalition” between Italy’s current main right- and left-wing parties is unprecedented, and will probably prove an uneasy alliance.
A man has been arrested in Italy after he shot two police officers outside the PM’s office in Rome during new government swearing-in ceremony
Silvio Berlusconi had said he would not be a minister, but had pushed for leading figures from his party to be given top posts.
Angelino Alfano, the PDL’s secretary and one of Silvio Berlusconi’s closest political allies, is deputy prime minister and interior minister in the new government.
Among the other key appointments is Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni to head the powerful economy ministry.
The cabinet is to have more women than usual, including former European Commissioner Emma Bonino as foreign minister.
Other women given government jobs include Olympic kayaker Josefa Idem who becomes minister of equal opportunity and sports, and Anna Maria Cancellieri at the ministry of justice.
Since February’s inconclusive poll there has been political stalemate in Italy, which is still plagued by economic woes after becoming one of the first eurozone victims of the global financial crisis of 2008.
President Giorgio Napolitano said on Saturday that the government would have the support of both chambers of parliament.
“I hope that this government can get to work quickly in the spirit of fervent co-operation and without any prejudice or conflict,” the president said.
“It was and is the only possible government.”
President Giorgio Napolitano, who is serving an unprecedented second term in Italy, has suggested he might resign if the new government fails to enact reforms.
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A deal on the formation of a new government has been reached in Italy, ending two months of political deadlock since the general election.
The agreement was announced after Prime Minister-designate Enrico Letta met President Giorgio Napolitano.
The coalition brings together Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party (PD) and the People of Freedom party (PDL) of former PM Silvio Berlusconi.
The swearing-in is to take place on Sunday at 11:30 local time.
Silvio Berlusconi had said he would not be a minister, but had pushed for leading figures from his party to be given top posts.
Angelino Alfano, the PDL’s secretary, will become deputy prime minister and interior minister in the new government.
Among the other key appointments proposed, Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni will head the powerful economy ministry and former European Commissioner Emma Bonino will become foreign minister.
Italian Prime Minister-designate Enrico Letta has agreed new government ending two months of political deadlock
The formation of the new government brings to an end a political deadlock that has unnerved financial markets since February’s inconclusive election.
President Giorgio Napolitano said the government would have the support of both chambers of parliament.
“I hope that this government can get to work quickly in the spirit of fervent co-operation and without any prejudice or conflict,” he said.
“It was and is the only possible government.”
The new government has to deal with a rapidly declining economic situation, rising unemployment – particularly among under the 35s – and lack of growth, despite some draconian austerity measures passed by the previous government of technocrats.
Enrico Letta, 46, is considered a moderate within the PD and is linked to Silvio Berlusconi through his uncle, Gianni Letta, who is one of Berlusconi’s closest aides.
Silvio Berlusconi is still contesting charges of tax fraud and sex with an underage prostitute, but recent opinion polls suggest his popularity has increased, giving him greater bargaining power.
Enrico Letta expressed “sober satisfaction over the team we put together”.
He has said he will shift the focus away from austerity to resolve Europe’s economic problems.
Enrico Letta’s candidacy for prime minister emerged after the PD leader, Pier Luigi Bersani, announced his resignation following a party rebellion over his choice for Italian president and his refusal to work with Silvio Berlusconi.
The third strongest force to emerge from the Italian election, the Five Star movement led by former comedian, Beppe Grillo, has refused to take part in a coalition with the two main parties.
He likened such a coalition to “an orgy worthy of the best of bunga bunga” in a barb directed at Silvio Berlusconi’s renowned private parties.
President Giorgio Napolitano, who is serving an unprecedented second term, has suggested he might resign if a new government fails to enact reforms.
Italian government – proposed posts:
- Enrico Letta, 46: Prime minister
- Angelino Alfano, 42: Deputy PM and interior minister
- Fabrizio Saccomanni, 70: Economy minister
- Emma Bonino, 65: Foreign minister
- Anna Maria Cancellieri, 69: Justice minister
- Enrico Giovannini, 55: Labour minister
- Mario Mauro, 51: Defence minister
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Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has been re-elected following a cross-party appeal to run for office again to resolve a growing political crisis.
Giorgio Napolitano, 87, secured the required 504 votes in parliament.
Politicians had turned to the widely-respected president after five rounds of voting failed to produce a successor.
A caretaker government has been governing Italy following February’s inconclusive general elections.
The political deadlock has compounded concern about the stability of Italy whose economy, the third-biggest in the eurozone, is mired in recession.
On Saturday, Giorgio Napolitano became the first president in Italian history to secure a second seven-year term.
He easily won the simple majority of votes out of 1,007 electors.
Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has been re-elected following a cross-party appeal to run for office again to resolve a growing political crisis
Giorgio Napolitano put forward his candidacy after the appeal by main party leaders – both on the left and right.
“I consider it necessary to offer my availability,” said Giorgio Napolitano, who had been due to step down on May 15.
“I cannot shun my responsibility towards the nation,” he added.
Italian party leaders earlier expressed concern over a “grave situation”, urging parliament to “show unity” in re-electing widely-respected Giorgio Napolitano.
Outside the parliament building in Rome, protesters held a rally against the push for Giorgio Napolitano’s re-election.
Many demonstrators were supporters of Beppe Grillo, the leader of the 5-Star Movement.
Beppe Grillo denounced giorgio Napolitano’s re-appointment as a “coup d’etat”.
Parliament began trying to elect a new president on Thursday, but MPs voted five times without producing a clear winner. In increasing desperation they turned to Giorgio Napolitano, who was supposed to retire.
On Friday, the leader of Italy’s centre-left alliance, Pier Luigi Bersani, promised to step down as soon as a new president was elected.
Pier Luigi Bersani announced the news to his Democratic Party (PD) after many centre-left MPs refused to back his preferred candidate for president.
The centre-left failed to gain an overall majority at February’s general election despite coming first.
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Newly elected South Korean President Park Geun-hye has warned that the country is facing “unprecedented” political deadlock which is hampering economic progress.
Park Geun-hye was sworn in as president last week, but has not yet been able to form a cabinet.
She has failed to reach agreement with the opposition over her plans for reorganizing the government.
They say plans to move the media into a new ministry would effectively put broadcasting under state control.
In a televised address, Park Geun-hye apologized for the deadlock, saying it had “caused serious delays to state affairs” and was “unprecedented since the country’s founding”.
Park Geun-hye dismissed the Democratic United Party’s claim that bringing the media into a new Ministry for Planning and Science was a move to control broadcasting.
“There is no other purpose than to strengthen the country’s competitiveness by creating a new growth engine and improving the people’s lives by creating many good jobs,” she said.
”We are in an urgent situation, and we cannot afford losing even just one minute or one second,” Park Geun-hye said, referring to South Korea’s struggling economy.
Newly elected South Korean President Park Geun-hye has warned that the country is facing “unprecedented” political deadlock which is hampering economic progress
The president also said South Korea was at “crisis level”, following the recent underground test by North Korea of a nuclear device and its launch of a three-stage rocket, both of which were seen as a breach of UN resolutions and condemned as a threat to stability in the region.
The debate between the DUP and Park Geun-hye’s Saenuri party has become uglier as it has drawn on, with many of those who oppose her plans reportedly accusing her of trying to force the bill through and behaving in an undemocratic way.
There is already a spotlight on how Park Geun-hye handles herself in power, because her father – also a former leader of the country – was a military autocrat who suppressed the pro-democracy movement.
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